


Just Another Night

by Chaotichalfling



Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: Balloon Boy - Freeform, FNAF 2, Five Nights at Freddy's - Freeform, Mangle - Freeform, Scott Cawthon - Freeform, Toy Bonnie - Freeform, fnaf - Freeform, toy chica - Freeform, toy freddy - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:27:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29506896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chaotichalfling/pseuds/Chaotichalfling
Summary: ALL ANIMATRONIC CHARACTERS AND PLACES  BELONG TO THE RIGHTFUL OWNER, SCOTT CAWTHON. THIS IS JUST A WORK OF FANFICTION.Arnold works the day shift at a Fazbear Entertainment location. With sleepless nights and unexpecting hours, he finds it hard to get his life in order. When a nightguard suddenly quits, the manager of the place promotes Arnold to take the nightguard position. With a promise of a raise, Arnold takes the position without second thoughts. With this new position, he'll finally be able to afford a car he has kept his eye on. When he finally starts the night shift he starts to hear strange things throughout the establishment. But as the week drags on, will he be able to survive just one more night?(This is my first go at writing fan-fiction. If there is anything that stands out, either grammar or structure-wise, please let me know. I can only grow from here! Thank you for reading)
Kudos: 1





	Just Another Night

Friday 1987 12:00

Arnold laid his arms on the dirty counter, the bright colorful lights shining down on his face. He tipped the brim of his hat almost touching the bridge of his nose. He could see the small toys that the establishment had to offer; rubber ducks, pencils, erasers, keychains, assorted candy, and small plush versions of the animatronics that stood singing on stage. The plush toys were the most popular amongst the children. There were some children trying and failing to try and get the unnecessarily large plush toys that occupied the space behind the counter, making it hard to walk in the small space. Sometimes he wanted to throw the large plush across the lobby in anger, but he did not want to deal with the paperwork. So there he stood, waiting for a kid, a sparkle in their eyes, picking out their favorite animatronic; Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, or the newest version of Foxy. He had no name to the children, but the employees called him The Mangle; his base coat was white, his stomach, nose, and eyelids were vibrant pink, and its eyes were a bright yellow with three eyelashes on each eyelid. He noticed the Foxy plush wasn’t as popular as the main three, but this Foxy still had his small share of fans. Fortunately, the only large plushes they had were the main three; Bonnie was always his favorite. He could not tell you why, but he just was. 

“Hey, mister!” A high-pitched voice cried out. “Hey! I want a toy now please!” 

‘At least he’s polite about it.’ Arnold thought. 

He pushed up the brim of his cap, making full eye contact with the child, a fake smile spread across his face. 

“Sure thing little guy! But first I’m going to need to see your ticket paper. You got it on you?” The kid dug through his pockets and slammed it on the counter. Arnold picked up the paper and skimmed it; it read ‘You have received a total of 100 tickets! Good job! Take this to the prize counter to get your special gift!’ 

Arnold placed the receipt in the bin and faced the child. “What can I get you?" He didn’t sound like himself when he sounded cheery. He sounded like one of those animatronics with randomized voice lines on repeat.

He saw the kid’s eyes scanning the counter. His eyes grew wide and he jabbed his finger on the case. “That one! That one right there!” He began banging his hands against it, repeating ‘that one!’ over and over again. 

“Sure thing!” He heard himself say as he grabbed the keys from his pocket and unlocked the door and slid it to the left. He caught a glimpse of the child through the glass, his breath on the glass blocking most of his face. Arnold turned his head and dropped his facade as he reached in for the toy. It was a small plastic version of the Freddy animatronic.  
The child continued to bang against the counter, excited to get his toy. He held the toy on his lap as he closed the gray door. He held his position as he let out a deep sigh and rolled his eyes. He put back on his fake smile and hopped up to face the child. 

“Alright kiddo, here you go! Your very own Freddy! Have fun!”

The child snatched the Freddy out of his hand. “Thanks, mister!” The child squealed as he ran off. “Mom! Mom! Look what I got!” 

Arnold could see the mom getting excited for her child. She picked up the toy and commented on how pretty it was. She held the toy up to the child’s face and tried to mimic Freddy’s voice. The child laughed with glee as he got the toy back. He hugged it as it was the most precious thing to him. The child then ran up to the animatronic on stage showing off the doll to Freddy on stage. 

Arnold couldn’t help but feel a twinge of happiness for the child. He remembered how excited he was to get his first toy. What was it again?

“Arnold, how’re doing?” Arnold did not automatically react, but soon fixed his gaze. 

“Oh, another exciting day at Freddy’s!” He said with a sarcastic tone. He dropped his ‘happy’ expression. “Only six hours to go. What’re you doing here, Mason?” 

“Ah you know I had to see my best friend at work! Such a hard-working guy!”

Arnold smiled. “Shut up, man.” 

Mason leaned his elbow on the counter and gazed out into the crowd. “I’m actually here for my cousin’s birthday. She hasn’t shut up about it since last month, its been really annoying. We’re all just happy she can shut up about it now.” 

Arnold scoffed. “Yeah. Try working here.” He said. “It’s like that every day.”

Mason turned his head. “Yeah, I do not feel sorry for you!”

“I know, sometimes I wonder if that car is even worth it now.”

Mason’s eyes widened. “Oh stop that! Do you know how long you’ve been talking about that damn thing? You’re almost as annoying as my cousin. Stick with it. If you don’t how will I be able to make fun of you?” 

Arnold rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, hey was that your application I saw on my boss’s desk a few weeks ago?” 

Mason ignored his question and turned his attention back to the crowd. He seemed to take in his surroundings like it was his first time being here. He had been there many times to bring Arnold lunch. One can only take so much pizza. But he watched Mason scan the room. He decided to break the tension.

“Hey, where is your cousin? Has she gotten her birthday pack yet?” 

“Huh? Oh. Let me go check.” 

Arnold nodded and watched his friend disappear into the left hallway to the party hall. He held his attention to his friend until he turned the corner and even then he held it for a moment longer before starting on the birthday pack; he started with a bright purple basket, followed by the obnoxiously bright yellow paper to cover the bottom. He picked out a Bonnie plush and a Chica action figure and placed them carefully in the basket. He placed a pair of Freddy glasses which he placed on the Bonnie plush. He threw in a handful of birthday hats. He has learned from a year’s experience that most children’s birthday parties had at least more than ten people attending, so it’s better to pack more and have some leftover than not have enough and have parents complain to him. He packed in a bracelet that was decorated with the main three animatronics in different dancing poses. He looked at the basket and then looked at the white Foxy plush placed beneath the glass counter and looked back at the basket. He thought about switching out the Bonnie plush with it, but what if someone else wanted that Foxy plush? He thought about adding to the basket along with everything else but remembered the rule book, the rule book that his manager forced him to read every time someone made a small mistake. He remembered the page with the birthday basket with the exact picture of the basket. It was as if that picture was engraved into his memory. He shook his head and finished tidying up the basket and placed it beside his feet, waiting for his friend to return. 

In the meantime, a few more children came and went from the prize counter, giggling as they ran away with their brand new toy. For a few ‘quiet’ moments, he watched the animatronics on stage. He listened to the pre-recorded voice lines. 

“Hi kids!” boomed Freddy in a voice that Arnold could only describe as a cartoon character come to life. Emphasizing a few words more throughout his sentences. “Thanks for being here today! 

“Are you ready to rock?” Bonnie chimed in, his voice a much higher pitch than Freddy's. It was strange. He didn’t know what to expect when he first heard Bonnie speak, but it sure wasn’t that. Bonnie strummed his guitar and moved his head. When Bonnie turned his head to the right, facing the prize counter, facing Arnold, Bonnie froze. Arnold furrowed his brow in confusion. Was Bonnie broken? A strange, unnerving feeling washed over him. It was almost as if Bonnie was looking through him, or directly at him. Arnold moved his body closer to the wall on his right, Bonnie’s head moved just as he did. Arnold moved closer to the entrance of the prize counter, Bonnie’s eyes followed him. 

He looked around him wondering if anyone else noticed this strange behavior. No one seemed to notice or complain. Arnold so desperately wanted to walk away from the gaze but knew he would get written up if he took even a step out of line without someone filling in for him. The ringing of the entrance bell grabbed his attention. A family of five walked in with a handful of small presents. He welcomed them in and wished them a wonderful visit. He hesitantly turned back to Bonnie who was back to singing and playing his guitar, as nothing had ever happened. 

Chica held her cupcake out to the mass of kids standing in front of the stage. The children cheered as the animatronics began one of their many songs. Maybe it was just a figment of his imagination, maybe his long sleepless nights were finally catching up to him. 

“Hey man.” Mason tapped on the glass. “Nah, she hasn’t got anything yet.” Mason snapped his fingers in front of Arnold’s face. “Dude.” 

“Huh?” 

“The birthday pack?” 

“Oh! Right. I have it here, hold on. Amy!” He waved his arm at a woman. “Can you come here for a second?” 

Amy held up her index finger as she finished with her table. Once finished, she maneuvered her way to Arnold. She was just barely shorter than he was, with long brown hair and golden-brown eyes, and an upbeat personality. He thought for the longest time that she was just putting on a show for work, but after meeting with her a few times after work, he realized that was her genuine personality. She was just that wonderful to be around. She had something nice to say even on her worst days. Arnold wondered if he could ever be like that, but thought that would leave him exhausted within just a few hours. 

She hopped as she reached the counter. “What can I do for you?” 

Arnold reached down and picked up the birthday basket. “Could you take this to the party room…” 

“Three,” Mason said.

“Party room three, please? I have it all ready to go.”

Amy picked up the basket and examined it. “Oh, this is pretty! Good choices and good colors!” She held it close to her. “Wonderful job Arnold!”

Arnold could feel his face turn red. “Thanks. I’ve had more than enough practice.” He rubbed the back of his neck. He could see Mason giving him a subtle grin and a wink. 

“Right this way!” She held the basket out in front of her as the two turned towards the party room. He could hear her asking questions about the birthday girl. The final question he heard was about her age, and then nothing. He let out a deep sigh and slumped over. 

The main theme song started to play once again as Arnold pretended to organize things on the back shelf. Move the small Freddy plush next to Bonnie, and put Bonnie by Chica. Put the bouncing balls over here and the giant plush stays where they are. There was no way he was moving those, not by himself anyway. Why make them that large anyway? What was the point? 

“Looking good.” Amy’s voice called out. 

Taken aback, Arnold stumbles on his feet to turn around. “Huh?” 

“The back shelves. Looking good.” 

“Oh,” he whispered. “Thanks.” 

He saw her scan the back shelves. Her eyes and smile lit up the whole prize corner. 

“So, uh, how did she like her birthday basket?” 

She lit up with excitement. “Oh! She loved it! She especially adored the Chica action figure. I don’t think I’ve seen someone smile that large before. Speaking of which, are we out of those Freddy glasses?” 

Arnold bent down and pulled out the box that held them. “No.” He called out. “Why?” 

She thrust her hand out onto the counter. “Hand me a pair?” 

Without question, he handed her a pair of Freddy glasses. “Sure thing. Why?” 

Before she could answer, she turned around, placed them upon her face, and whipped back around. She held out her hands like an entertainer. “TA-DA!” She yelled out. The Freddy glasses were almost too small for her face. The place where her eyes should be was just barely in the lenses. The glasses resembled the top half of Freddy’s head; a black plastic top hat, your eyes where Freddy’s was supposed to be, and a black button nose to finish it all off. Her long brown hair covered a bit of her face when she twirled back around. She laughed as she took the glasses off and handed them back to Arnold. He smiled when she handed them back to him, their hands touching for a brief second. 

“I wish they made those for older kids too.” 

Arnold held them out before putting them on himself. “I don’t know, I think they fit just fine.” The glasses were tight around his ears. 

“Hi kids!” Arnold mimicked Freddy. “I’m a big bear, won’t you be my friend? Hahahaha!” He lowered his voice to mimic Freddy’s laugh. Amy threw her hand on her mouth to stop her from laughing. 

“Excuse me?” Arnold immediately took the glasses off and threw them in the bucket and stood up straight. 

“Yes ma’am?” 

She gave Arnold a confused look before continuing. “Would you happen to have any matches? We forgot to bring some with the cake and he’s getting antsy.”

Arnold raised an eyebrow at Amy and Amy nodded. 

“Yes ma’am, we do. Let me just go get those for you. Amy, would you mind?” He asked as he gestured to the counter. 

“Sure! She said as she walked around the woman and placed herself behind the counter.

Arnold opened the door to the company room and quickly closed it behind him. Two of his co-workers sat at the table eating their lunch. One looked up at Arnold. 

“Hey, Arnie. What’s the rush?” 

Arnold kept his back against the door. “Matches?” 

The co-worker dug into his pocket and tossed them at Arnold. He fumbled with the box before finally catching them. “Here use these. I want them back when you’re done.” Arnold nodded and walked back through the door. He showed the woman the pack of matches. 

“Alright ma’am, here you go. But I will say I will have to light the cake for you. Company policy and all that.”

The woman seemed to understand as she turned back to her group. Arnold looked at Amy and nodded his head to the backroom and pretended to smoke a cigarette. Amy nodded and Arnold was on his way. He maneuvered his way through the group of children that took up most of the floor. As Arnold made his way closer to the table, a child with a Bonnie party hat on cheered when he saw Arnold in his uniform. His friends soon followed suit, and a couple of children nearly screamed their heads off. Arnold wanted to cover his ears but just pretended that it did not bother him. A parent rushed to the child and started shushing them. 

“Alright, where is the birthday boy?” Arnold asked, already knowing the answer. 

A young boy, about seven, pointed to the boy in the Bonnie party hat. “He is! He turns six today! Just like me!” 

Arnold raised his eyebrows and gave the birthday boy a smile and a thumbs up. “Well happy sixth birthday! Hope it’s fantastic as you are!” The child smiled wide showing a gap-toothed smile. 

The mother cleared the way and pulled the cake closer to them. The cake was, of course, a Freddy Fazbear cake, but instead of the main attraction, Bonnie was the main one on the cake, in fact, he was the only one on the cake. It pictured Bonnie jumping on the cake, frozen in mid-air, playing the guitar, and with one eye closed. 

Arnold began pulling out the matches. “Is Bonnie your favorite?” He asked. 

The boy’s eyes lit up and he stood up from his seat. “Yeah, he’s my favorite! He’s blue and that’s my favorite color!”

“That’s so cool! You want to know a secret?” He asked the boy leaning in to light the cake. The boy nodded and leaned in. “Bonnie is my favorite too.” 

“Really?” The boy whispered, Arnold nodded. 

“But don’t tell anyone, that’s our secret.” 

The boy gave him a thumbs up and sat back down. 

Arnold straightened his back and lit the candle that was shaped like the number six. He waved the match to put out the remaining smoke and shoved it in his shirt pocket. 

He leaned in and asked for the kid’s name. 

“Cole.” The mom whispered back.

He clapped his hands to get the attention of the table. He hated this part, but whatever got him away from the prize counter for a few minutes it was worth it. 

“Who’s ready to sing happy birthday boy? Ready?”

He lifted his hands and dropped them when they all started singing. 

“Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to Cole

Happy birthday to you!” 

The table cheered as Cole blew out the candle. Arnold cheered and clapped along with them. He took a look over at the prize counter who smiled at him before going back to help a child get a prize. 

He stood there for a moment, waiting for it to calm down before turning towards the mom. 

“Is there anything else I can help I can help you with?” 

The mom looked up at him and smiled. “No thank you. Thanks!” 

Arnold gave them both a thumbs-up as he walked backward. But before he turned around, the Bonnie animatronic stared at him. His unblinking green eyes staring right at him. His arms and hands still made the right movements, 'strumming' the guitar. But the eyes, the big, unblinking eyes staring at him. He froze in place and watched the bunny. Its head didn’t move. The mouth moved along with the script, but the head, his damn head wouldn’t move. What was wrong with it? From what he was told when he accepted the job, these were brand new and top of the line, there shouldn’t be anything wrong with them. Maybe they just missed something while assembling. The bright green, blue and red lights flashed on the stage giving the illusion that the characters were actually singing the actual lyrics instead of their mouths moving. In a movement of flashing light, Bonnie’s bright green eyes turned dark, a white light taking center. All of his movements stopped and continued to stare. Everything around him seemed to darken and the sounds seemed to stop. It was just him and the animatronic. He was afraid to move his head, surely someone else was seeing this. There was no way someone had missed Bonnie’s strange behavior. 

“Arnold?” 

Arnold nearly jumped out of his skin when someone placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned. It was Amy. She raised her hands next to her head. 

“Are you okay? You looked zoned out there for a minute.” 

“ Huh? Oh yeah, I’m fine. I was just enjoying the show, you know?” 

Amy placed her hands on her hips and watched the three main attractions. Arnold did too. Bonnie’s eyes were back to normal, everything about him was back to normal. It seemed too real to be a sleep-deprived hallucination. 

“Yeah they really are neat, aren’t they? I think I like Chica the best.” Amy said. She looked at Arnold. “Who is your favorite?” 

“That’s a secret!” Cole chimed out. He had gotten up from his seat to get a refill. “He told me it was a secret. And only I know it!” Cole stared at Arnold and gave him a thumbs up. 

“It’s okay buddy,” Arnold stated. “She’s a friend too, she can know.” 

Cole mouthed ‘oh,’ and motioned for her to come down to his level. He whispered loud enough so Arnold could hear. “His favorite is Bonnie. But shh, that’s a secret!” Amy leaned back and nodded and placed a finger to her lips. Cole happily skipped off back to his table, completely forgetting about the refill. 

“So Bonnie huh?” She asked, nudging him in the side. 

He smirked. “Yeah, what about it?” 

“Nothing. Nothing at all. Just doesn’t seem like he would be your favorite at all. You seem more like a Freddy guy to me.”

“With that voice? No thanks.” She patted him on the back as they headed back to the prize counter. 

A child’s laughter rang through their ears. Arnold grimaced as he turned to face the smallest animatronic, if one could even call it that, Balloon Boy, or BB. Just a bit taller than a small toddler, he had a round head with bright blue eyes and red rosy cheeks, a triangular-shaped nose, and a wide smile showing all eight teeth. His red and blue striped shirt matched the helicopter hat that slowly spun around. The blue pants and the large brown shoes just didn’t seem to fit him. In his right hand, he held up a sign in a bold font that read ‘Balloons!’ in the other hand, a yellow and red spiral balloon. A shiver ran down Arnold’s back as BB laughed again. 

“Hey stay here for a bit more? I feel like I’ve been holding it in for hours now.” She waved him off as she took her place back behind the counter. He opened the door and stepped through, letting it close by itself. A gust of cool wind blew in behind him. He let out a sigh of relief. 

“You good there?” The co-worker asked. 

“Yeah, just fine.” He tossed the package of matches on the table in front of him. “Thanks.” 

The man grunted as he took another bite of his lunch, some condiment dripping down his chin, not making any effort to clean himself. With a final look, he turned back into the main lobby, walking his way to the bathroom. He turned down the dark hallway and pushed open the first door on his right. He caught his reflection in the mirror on his left; his long blonde curly hair covered his dark eyes, his tall lanky frame nearly exceeded the height of the mirrors, his eyes just barely at the edge of the mirror, and dark bags decorated the bottom of his eyes. He didn’t look like himself, he looked like a totally different person. He didn’t recognize himself. 

After he finished, he washed his hands and splashed some water onto his face, and dried it off with his bright blue work uniform. He adjusted his name tag, straightened his shirt, and faced the door. He braced himself to face the birthday crowds that lay outside that door. He placed his hand on the metal door and forced himself to face the crowds, putting on that customer service smile. He could hear the children screaming and laughing in the arcade room. 

“I was on that game first!”

“Yeah but now it’s my turn!”

“Whatever! I’m going to mom!” 

At that moment, a child wearing a yellow shirt with some sort of logo, he couldn’t tell for what thought. The kid ran past him and to the main party room and sat himself next to a woman. He could see the woman ruffle his hair and kiss his forehead. The kid did not waste any time scarfing down the pizza on his plate. A sick feeling turned in his stomach. Perhaps he had been working here for a while, or just lost his appetite for pizza, but he could be happy knowing that he would never eat pizza again. Just watching the kids eat them down like it was their last meal on Earth could physically make him sick. 

He walked past the batch of running children and went back to his station. The blue lights perfectly lit up the area, like one giant advertisement. Amy looked perfect under that light, he couldn’t explain it, she just did. He avoided eye contact with the animatronics as he passed by, but he just couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching him. He quickened his pace without seeming scared. 

“Welcome back!” Amy greeted. 

“Did I miss anything?” He asked. 

“Hmm.” She scrunched up her face and scratched her head. “No, not really. Same old song and dance.” 

Arnold nodded. “Got it.” 

A man wearing a sports jersey and faded jeans seemed to be on their last lap. 

“Hey, someone threw up in party room two. I’m sorry I tried to catch it before it happened...but…” His voice trailed off. Amy answered before he had the chance. 

“That’s alright sir, it happens to the best of us. I’ll be there in just a moment with a mop.”

“Thank you.” The man said as if a weight had been lifted. “Again I’m so sorry about it.”

“Not a problem, completely understandable,” Arnold replied. 

The man left and Amy noticed the loose paper towels from the bathroom hanging out of his back pocket.

“I’m..going to go get a mop.” 

“Have fun.” 

Amy stuck her tongue out at him, he did the same in return. She quickly grabbed the mop and a bucket of water and weaved in and out of the crowd. 

“Hi kids!” Freddy called out. Arnold began to pay attention. “I heard a rumor that there’s a birthday today!”

“It’s always someone’s birthday here!” Chica replied. 

“Yeah! Rock on!” Bonnie cheered as he strummed his guitar. 

Arnold kept his gaze away from Bonnie and focused on the other animatronics. Maybe if there was something wrong with one, then maybe the other two might have something wrong with them as well. 

Freddy sang with his microphone and Chica sang backup, showing off the cupcake once more. Over the sea of heads, Arnold could see a small hand reach up and try to catch the cupcake. To a kid, it looked delicious, but to someone like Arnold, it was unsettling to look at. Why does a cupcake need teeth? But it kept the children entertained, more power to them. 

As the kids sang along to Freddy he could see a pair of exhausted parents sitting at the table, their bodies slumped over and tired. They talked about their children and the gifts that their kids received. 

On stage, the curtains began to ruffle as the music began to fade. This segment would be closing soon. But would start again in just twenty minutes, giving the animatronics some time to 'rest' their vocal cords. The children let out a wave of disappointment as they wandered back to the game room or to wolf down some more pizza. 

A child with a handful of tickets ran up to the counter and bounced happily up and down. A mother, or some guardian, ran to catch up with him. 

“Toy please! Toy!” 

“James!” The woman cried out. “You can’t just run away like that!” She looked at Arnold with an apologetic look. Arnold nodded. “You have to give it to the ticket machine buddy! The machine counts the tickets for them,” she pointed to Arnold, “so they don’t have to." The child looked up at Arnold, back at the woman, and then ran away again. She looked at Arnold mouthed ‘sorry’ and followed the kid again. 

“Just another Friday, huh?” 

He could smell the scent of a cigarette wafting into his nose. It was such a prominent smell, most of the staff smelled like it, but only one had that unique of a voice; Daniel. Without looking up, Arnold agreed. 

“You know, if it weren’t for the wife’s medical bills, I wouldn’t be here right now. I don’t think this job is worth the trouble,” he coughed. 

Arnold nodded in agreement. If it wasn’t for that car, he wouldn’t be here. He didn’t care what car, he just wanted a car that would get him the hell out of this town, but, with his luck, he would be here for a while. Arnold placed his upper body on the counter as Daniel rambled on. He stopped paying attention a while ago. 

“What the hell does he want?” Daniel asked, nodding his head towards the crowd. 

Arnold looked to see a man in, what seemed to be in his late fifties, sporting a blue button-up shirt, disheveled beard, a near balding hairline, making his way over to them. It took every muscle he had for him not to roll his eyes. He made no effort to straighten his posture.

“Evenin’ boss man,” Daniel said with a smirk. “What can we do for you?”

“Arnold shot Daniel a look. ‘We?’ He thought. 

“Daniel, come with me.” It wasn’t a request. 

Sensing the seriousness of the boss’s tone, the smirk wiped off his face in a blink. 

“Something wrong boss?” 

“Follow me.” 

Daniel looked at Arnold and shrugged his shoulders before he hurriedly caught up with their boss. Arnold has never seen the boss so shook up like that before. Most of the time he was either breathing down someone’s neck or looking for any excuse to write someone up. All he did was sit back there and watch the cameras all day. He had access to see any and all employees on the main floor, perfect for keeping his ducks in a row. So there had to be something serious to spook him like that. His curiosity peaked when he heard his boss call for another employee over the walkie-talkie. He heard the door open behind them and someone rush to the security room. 

Arnold craned his neck and pushed himself over the counter, his hand holding on to the counter’s edge. His bright curly obscuring most of his vision. 

“Um. Excuse me?" Arnold jumped back to his feet and moved the hair in front of his face. “Yes, sorry about that. How may I help you?” It was the woman and child from before. 

The woman nudged the child forward. The child waved the ticket receipt in his hand. “Toy, toy, toy!” He squealed. The child willingly handed over his ticket and kept repeating, ‘toy,’ over and over again. 

Arnold read the ticket. ‘You have received a total of 240 tickets! Take this to the prize counter to get your special gift!’ Arnold looked at the child, the woman, and back at the ticket. There was no way this child got well over two hundred tickets, even on the easiest game. Still, he threw the ticket in the bin and asked the child what he wanted. 

“That and that!” He proclaimed. He pointed to the Freddy and Chica plush that lay comfortably inside the counter. 

Arnold unlocked the gray door and grabbed the two characters. The child jumped up and down as he saw Arnold collect them. Before he had the chance to place them on the counter, the kid snatched the toys from his hands and held them tight. The woman let out a sigh of relief before thanking him and both of them were on their way. He watched as the child lifted the toys in the air having them pretend to talk to each other. 

Mason accidentally bumped into the woman as he made his way to Arnold. 

“Having fun?” He asked an exhausted Mason.

Mason furrowed his brow and pointed a finger at him. “How?” 

Arnold pushed the finger away. “You get used to it.. eventually.” He said with a grin.

“I haven’t been here an hour and I already want to blow my brains out.” 

‘Feeling’s mutual.’ Arnold thought. 

Mason continued. “What’s going on in the back? "Seems like everyone is having a party of their own.” 

“Did you see what they were doing?” Arnold asked.

“It just looks like they're reviewing some footage. Didn’t get a good look at their faces though.” 

Arnold’s eyes focused on the hallway just as Amy walked around its corner with the same mop and bucket from just a few minutes ago. That look on her face was sympathetic, but also very pale. She took a pause between Arnold and the backroom. She let out a very deep breath like she had been holding everything in. 

“I never thought I would be so happy to smell cheap pizza.” She mumbled. Mason smiled as Arnold agreed. She pushed forward to put the mop back in its place.

"I still don’t know how you do it,” Mason repeated, Arnold did not answer. 

“Hello!” The two turned their attention to Balloon Boy. 

“I don’t like you,” Mason said. Balloon Boy laughed. 

Mason rolled his eyes, mocking the laugh. 

Amy came out of the backroom, her face seemed to gain a bit of color back. She leaned her head on Arnold’s shoulder. Arnold’s body stiffened and held his breath. He didn’t dare look at Mason. He knew the exact look he would be giving and that he would hang it over his head for a while. 

Arnold could see a disgruntled employee and an equally upset manager behind him. They were clearly talking about something, the employee more so. It was one employee that the morning and afternoon employees hardly ever notice. Always working the night shift.

“How was I supposed to know?” The employee boomed. If it weren’t for the music repeating itself, the room would have been dead silent. The manager looked around the room and apologized “Don’t apologize!” The employee yelled, “this place is a nightmare!” The manager gestured to the backroom to talk privately. “Oh, I would love to!” The employee screamed. The crowd of children and parents parted so that he could have a small path. The manager stayed behind and quickly apologized to the guests. A few brushed it off while the others were rightly concerned. The manager assured them that everything was okay, just a misunderstanding. 

The employee stormed past Mason, Arnold, and Amy. From what they saw, their face was beet red, a prominent scratch across the left side of his face. The door slammed shut while the manager seemed to mentally prepare himself for the storm that awaited him. He looked at Arnold and Amy, shook his head, and went into the back. 

Amy lifted her head, looked at the door, and back to Arnold and Mason. Mason quizically pointed to the back door, Arnold and Amy shrugged their shoulders. Without another word being said, Mason made his way back to the party room. Arnold wished that was him, he didn’t want to face whatever was going to come next. 

Curious, Amy scooted her way closer to the door, hoping to hear something, anything. Arnold watched as she did so. He furrowed his brow, she shook her head. Arnold crinkled his nose as the animatronics start-up music played. A stampede of children ran from all directions, all trying to get the best spot. The music grew louder and louder as the curtain opened and the room erupted throughout. 

“Hello everyone!” Freddy cheered. 

“Hi, Freddy!” Some children replied.

“Does anyone have pizza? I sure am hungry!” Chica exclaimed. 

“Chica,” Bonnie started, “you just had five slices backstage!” 

The children laughed at the two. 

“There’s plenty of pizza to go around!” Freddy said. 

“That’s it!” The backroom door slammed open. “No! I’m done! You can take this and all of this,” the employee threw an extra uniform at the manager, “fuck this and fuck you!” 

A few parents who happened to overhear the employee were quick to cover their kid’s ears. The kids clearly are not paying attention. 

The manager slowly walked out of the room and picked up the uniform. Defeated, he let out a deep breath and mumbled under his breath. 

Something glittered in the red and blue lights. He looked at the manager and back at the glittering object. Using his long legs, he softly placed his foot on the object and slid it near him. He didn’t dare pick it up just yet. He kept it under his foot until he knew it would be safe.

The manager dropped his hands by his side, the uniform hanging limply in his hands. 

“Everything alright?” Amy asked. 

“What was he so angry about?” Arnold asked. 

The manager looked at both of them. “Nothing for you to worry about. Just get back to work.He stomped away without another word, trying in vain to avoid the parents in the main lobby. They watched as the manager dashed around the corner. 

Amy looked at the entrance and tilted her head. “I wonder what crawled up his pants.” 

Seeing the coast was clear, Arnold moved his foot back and leaned down to pick up the glittering object. He examined the object. It felt heavy in his hand. It was made out of some fake gold material. The top of the object was curved in the middle before it flattened on both sides. Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica engraved with the curve. A long white strip laid perfectly underneath it. The name Nicolas was lazily scrawled on there. He flipped it over to see a small rectangular pin on the back. It was like it had barely been used. 

“What do you got there?” Amy asked, trying to lean over his shoulder. 

“A name tag.” Arnold jabbed his thumb at the door, “think it may have belonged to Mr. Happy over there.” 

“Huh,” she replied, “looks like," she looked at the name, “Nicolas did not have a good time at Freddy’s.” She tried giving out a bit of a laugh, but even she couldn’t convince herself. 

Arnold looked at the hallway and tightened his grip on the name tag. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” 

“Where are you going?” She asked. But he gave no reply. He was a man on a mission and nothing was going to get in his way. With, what seemed to be, all the children in one area, the lobby seemed so much larger. In the dim hallway, he could see his boss poke his head in the arcade room. Not wanting to waste any more time, he quickened his pace and faced his boss. 

"Hey," Arnold said. The manager almost jumped out of his skin. Arnold raised his hands in defense. The name tag was still tight in his grip. “I just...here. I think you missed this.” Arnold handed the tag over to the manager. The manager let out a sigh of relief and took the tag. The uniform was still in his hand. Without the multicolored lights, he could see a hint of purple on the uniform. 

The manager handled the name tag with care, his eyes going over the name tag, taking in every little detail. 

“I’m just,” Arnold pointed back towards the prize counter, “going to go back to work.” Just as he turned the manager stopped him in his tracks. 

“Arnold. How would you like another job?” 

Arnold turned on his heels. “I’m sorry?” 

“Another job.” He held out the uniform. “No one else wants to do it. I wasn’t going to ask you. I just assumed you were like everyone else.”

“They all said no?” Arnold asked. 

"Unfortunately." He answered. 

The word floated around in Arnold’s head. ‘Unfortunately.’

“Did you hear me?” The manager asked. A hint of annoyance lingered in the air. 

“I’m sorry?” 

The manager closed his eyes and seemed to try his best not to lose his cool. “I was saying, it pays a bit more than what you’re making now. It’s not that much of a raise, but, hell, it’s something.” 

Arnold stumbled over his words. “I, um, what are the hours?” 

“Midnight to six.” 

Arnold thought back to the car lot. He thought of that brand new car that would be waiting for him. With this, he might be able to leave this dump of a town sooner than later. 

“How long will I be working in that position?” 

The manager let out a sigh, “Until I can find someone new. So might be a week, might be a month. Do you want it or not? You’re wasting time here.” 

Arnold looked at the manager and nodded his head. 

The manager’s eyes widened. “Really? I mean, well hell, come with me.”

Arnold could feel his heart jump into his stomach, his body felt numb. As if he lost all control of his body. He could see himself taking the steps, but felt like someone else was in control. 

‘What did I just do?’ He thought. ‘What did I do?’ 

Taking a left, they passed all four party rooms. Room one was decorated in all blues and purples. As they passed room three, he caught a glimpse of Mason, rested his head on the palm of his hand as the children around him were playing with small party favors. Mason jerked up as he made quick eye contact with Arnold. 

“What are you doing?” Mason mouthed. 

Arnold held up a finger and mouthed “I’ll tell you later.”

Before he could see a response, Arnold quickly caught up with the manager in the security room. It was such a strange experience. One light hung from the ceiling, pictures of the animatronics drawn by children hung from one wall, and the other wall had an official poster of Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica with the word CELEBRATE in large yellow letters. The floor was just like the flooring in the rest of the establishment, black and white checkers. 

Daniel sat at the desk and watched him walk in. “Arnie? What are you doing back here?” 

He opened his mouth to answer, but the manager answered for him. “He’s the new security guard for a while.” 

“No shit.” Daniel smiled. “After that?” He pointed to the screen.

“After what?” Arnold asked, making his way over to the screens. 

“After nothing.” The manager said, stopping him from seeing the cameras. “Nothing.” He said, giving Daniel a glare. Daniel scoffed and stared back at the cameras. 

“This is it," the manager started, “you’ll be responsible for watching over Freddy’s from the hours I already told you.”

There was a feeling in the back of his mind that the manager wasn’t telling everything. “That’s it?” Arnold asked.

“That’s it.” The manager replied. Arnold looked at Daniel for a response but said nothing. “Now,” the manager snapped his fingers at Arnold, "what size do you wear?” 

“Medium.” 

The manager paused for a moment and looked him up and down. “No shit?”

“Um, no sir?” 

He tossed the uniform that was hanging limply in his hand to Arnold. “Wash that and wear it Monday. You don’t need a new name tag, use the one you have. How many hours do you have left of your shift?”

“Five.”

“When you finish your shift. Don’t come in until eleven-thirty Monday evening. Everything you need is right here and if you have any questions, ask before you leave.” 

Arnold held out the uniform in front of him. It was a dark purple, with hardly any wrinkles in it. 

“How long was that other guy here?” He asked. 

“Doesn’t matter, he wasn’t fit to work here anyway, speaking of work,” the manager checked his watch.” You need to go back to it.” He waved his hands at him. “Off you go.” 

“Yes sir.” Arnold nodded and left the room, uniform in hand. 

He kept examining the suit as he walked down the hallway.

“What made them choose purple?” He asked himself. 

“What’s purple?” 

Arnold shrieked. 

“Take a chill pill, man. "Made what purple?” 

Arnold shook his head. “You’re so lame sometimes.” He held out his new uniform to Mason. “This. Out of all the colors, they chose purple.” 

“Dude! You get a promotion or something?”

“It’s something alright.” 

Mason snatched the uniform out of his hand. “I don’t know man, looks like a pretty righteous color to me.” He held it up in front of Arnold. “Looks pretty good on you. Now all you need is a new hat.” 

“Ah-ha, ha, ha,” Arnold snatched the uniform out of Mason's hand, “and risk messing up these good looks? You’re out of your mind.” He folded the uniform over his arm. “Don’t you have a party to be getting back to?” 

“Don’t you have a party to be getting back to?” Mason mocked. “You’re lucky. I’ll call you tomorrow.” Mason punched him playfully on the shoulder before leaving. 

“Sounds good,” Arnold replied. “Sounds good.” 

A small child bumped into him, knocking him back into reality. He made his way back to the prize counter while the band continued to play. 

“That’s my favorite song!” Freddy exclaimed. 

“Let’s play it again then!” Bonnie answered. 

“Bonnie!” Freddy and Chica said in unison. 

Arnold ignored the rest of the set-up and went past the prize counter, into the back room, and straight to his locker. He fiddled with the lock until he had the right combination. He placed the uniform in the locker immediately slamming it shut. Not wanting to waste any more time than he already had, he went back to his post to relieve Amy. 

“Hey there. What took you so long?” 

Arnold could feel his face drop and could feel his heart beating in his chest. “I think. I think I got a new job.” 

Amy's eyes lit up. “Really?” It was hard to tell if she sounded terrified or excited. “Doing what?” 

“Nightguard. Here.” 

“Nightguard? Here?” 

Arnold looked at her. “Isn’t that what I said?” 

“Yes, I’m just…” Her voice trailed off. "When do you start?”

“Monday.” 

She walked around him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “You’re going to be great.” 

“I hope so.” He replied.


End file.
